Counting and packaging apparatus



March 24, 1953 J. HOAR, JR 2,632,538

COUNTING AND PACKAGING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 30, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 1INC EN TOR.

Fig.1

March 24, 1953 J, HOAR, JR 2,632,583

COUNTING AND PACKAGING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 50, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet? Fig2 Ill ,/-2 8 I a an i L FP J IN VEN TOR.

March 24, 1953 J; HOAR, JR

COUNTING AND PACKAGING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 50, 1952 4 SheetsSheet 3 IIOV IC

March 24, 1953 J. HOAR, JR

COUNTING AND PACKAGING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. so, 1952 INV EN TOR.

fih A J Patented Mar. 24, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COUNTING ANDPACKAGING APPARATUS John Hoar, J r., Epping, N. H.

Application January 30, 1952, Serial No. 268,980

Claims.

This invention relates to a counting and packaging apparatus and moreparticularly to an apparatus for the high speed automatic counting ofsmall objects, such as screws, tacks, nails, and the like, intopredetermined grouped quantities for packaging.

It is common practice for many manufacturers of small inexpensiveproducts to package such products in predetermined quantities such as adozen, a hundred, and so forth to a package. Such products are countedeither by hand, by weight, or, in the case of a few types of objects ofregular configuration, such as pills, by known automatic machinery;usually employing photo-, cells as devices for sensing the presence ofan object to be counted. Many types of such objects, however, inparticular screws, tacks, nails and like objects of irregularconfiguration, cannot be packaged at high speed on known packagingmachinery and hence such objects must be packaged either by hand or byweight. Packaging by weight is quite inaccurate and thus overweightingis resorted to in order to pack at least the required number of objectsin a package. Normally, this results in substantial overage. Handpackaging is unduly expensive as well as inaccurate, and for variousreasons generally results in an overage.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to produce anobject counting machine preferably using photocells or other electricalsensing devices which will enable small, irregular objects, such asscrews, tacks, nails and the like, as well as regular objects, to becounted at high speed into predetermined grouped quantities forpackaging.

It is a further object of the invention to produce a packaging apparatusby means of which such predetermined grouped quantities may beautomatically packaged in suitable containers.

It is a feature of the invention that it is adapted to count and packagean extraordinary large variety of irregular as well as regular objectsinto accurately predetermined quantities, thus to a large extenteliminating overages and resulting in substantial savings to themanufacturer or packer.

For the purpose of explaining a preferred embodiment of my invention,reference is made to the following drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the counting and packaging apparatus ofmy invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan View of certain porportions of the apparatusof Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram of a suitable control circuit for use in theapparatus of my invention;

Fig. 5 is a circuit diagram of a suitable photocell sensing circuit foruse in the apparatus of my invention; and

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of a modified embodiment of a portion ofthe apparatus of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus of my invention for countinginto predetermined grouped quantities and packaging small, irregularobjects such as screws, tacks, nails and like objects, as well asregular objects, includes mounted on frame IU of the apparatus a hopperl2 for receiving a large quantity of the objects to be counted, suchobjects being referred to herein as screws. The hopper 2 may be of anysuitable shape and size depending upon the type of objects and thequantities into which they are to be. counted, and has a relatively longand narrow bottom opening 13. Immediately beneath the transverselyextended bottom opening 13 of said hopper is a hopper tray l4 having adownwardly sloping surface with a number of troughs 15 therein, each ofsuch troughs being positioned to receive screws from the bottom openingl3 of the hopper [2, such opening hence distributing said screws intoall of said troughs. The hopper l2 and tray I 4 are each equipped withsuitable vibrators, hopper vibrator l6 and tray vibrator 18, for feedingthe screws from the hopper l2 onto the hopper troughs l5 and advancingthem downwardly along the sloping surface of the hopper tray M, thetroughs in such tray tending to form the screws into single lines withineach of the troughs l5. Below the lower end of the tray 1 4 arepositioned two separate adjacent feeding trays to receive screws fromthe troughs I5 of hopper tray l4, a bulk feeding tray at having aplurality of troughs 2|, say ten in number, therein and a dribblefeeding tray 3!) having a much smaller number of troughs, preferably buta single trough. 3|. Each of the trays slopes downwardly from the hoppertray i4 and have vibrators for advancing screws along the troughs 2| and31 in single lines, a bulk feed vibrator 22 for advancing screws alongthe relatively large number of bulk feeding troughs 2| and a dribblefeed vibrator 32 for advancing screws along dribble feeding trough 3!.The adjacent feeding trays 26 and 39 preferably together have the samenumber of troughs as does hopper tray M, thus maintaining the lines ofscrews established by troughs l5 of hopper tray 14 and serving toadvance them along troughs 2| and 3| in single file As the screws passfrom the end of each of said eleven troughs, they fall downwardly pastsuitable sensing devices id arranged below each of said troughs, saidsensing devices being connected toa predetermined counter device 48,thus providing means for counting the screws, as hereinafter more fullyexplained.

Accordin to my invention, the large number of paths or channelsavailable for bulk feeding provide a suitably rapid advance of irregularobiects, such as, for example, screws, which cannot be rapidly advancedin a single line, and such rate of advance is limited only by the numberof troughs used. Yet, by stopping the movement of the screws along allbut a few of the paths or channels, that is, few relative to the totalnumber of channels, during the final stages of the count, the passage ofsuch screws from the end of such few channels, or preferably a singlechanneldribble trough 3i-past the sensing devices 49 may be determinedwith great accuracy. The predetermined counter device 48 is organizedand arranged to generate suitable signals for operating control means tostop the advance of, screws, first along the bulk channels and thenalong the dribble channels to complete a cycle, all as hereinafter morefully explained, thus providing, for the first time, a counting andpackaging apparatus capable of handling both irregular and regularobjects with the requisite speed as well as accuracy.

In order to assemble the screws into groups after they have been countedinto predetermined quantities by means of the sensing devices andcounting means, I provide a steeply downwardly sloping collectin trough33 extending transversely beneath and spaced from the, ends of troughs2i anclSl for collecting screws advanced from. said troughs anddelivering them to a receiving package or box 3? in filling position ona continuously driven conveyor belt 35., such collecting troughpreferably having its lower end beneath the end of dribble feedingtrough 3i to reduce the time necessary for a screw to pass from dribbletrough 3i to box 3?. As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the continuouslyoperated belt 35 is preferably somewhat wider than twice the width of abox 3?, and has edge guides, inner edge guide 3 and outer edge guide 35,and central guide 39, the latter being interrupted at the fillingposition. A transverse stop member 26 is provided at the output. side ofsaid filling position between said central guide 3.9 and inner edgeguide 3 3 to stop .and position a box 3? in filling position. Atransverse guide 2,? maybe provided at the input side of said fillingposition between central guide .39 and outer edge guide 25 to aid inguiding a box 3?. A box switch is mounted on said transverse stop 2%adjacent a box 3? in filling position adapted to be closed only when abox .3? is maintained in filling position. A solenoid actuated dischargekicker is provided adiacent the conveyor belt to move a box Sl fromfilling position on the first half side portion-the loading portionofbelt 36 to the second half side port'ion-the discharge portion-of saidbelt, such kicker preferably having an arm 38 connected to solenoid 55by a bell crank .23 mounted on the frame of the apparatus below belt 36,said arm being arranged to lie alongside a box 3? in filling position,as shown in Figs. and 3.. Thus, when the kicker is actuated by itssolenoid 5'5, arm 38 moves box 3? transversely of belt 36 alongtransverse stop 23 to the second side portion of belt 35 to allow thebelt 36 to move said box for-e ward past said stop 28. Upon the kickerarms return, a sprin 29 connected between bell crank 23 and the frame ofthe apparatus is provided to return the solenoid 55 to non-energizedposition, and a new box will be moved to filling position against saidstop it by the belt 35, the energized position of said arm 3S beingshown in dotted position in Figs. 2 and 3. Said belt 36, arm .38 andstop 25 hence constitute'a positioning means both for maintaining thebox 3t in filling position and for removing it when filled to allowanother box to be moved into filling position and be there maintaineduntil filled.

In order to control the above described apparatus automatically to counta predetermined number of screws into a box Zil, I have provided, asmentioned above, at the lower end of each one of the bulk feedingtroughs 2i and dribble feeding troughs M in the space between saidtroughs and collecting, trough 33,,a sensing means All arrangedtoindicate the presence of a screw pass ing from the end of a trough andfalling downwardly to the collecting trough 33. Agp'hotoelectric sensingmeans, for example, maybe arranged in a known manner to produce a signalpulse for operating a multiple channel predetermined electronic counteri-B of the type shown and described by John T. Potter in his U. 8.Patents Nos. 2,538,122 and 2,574,283. A suitable circuit for operatingsuch a counter by means of a photocell sensing means, generallyindicated as it, is shown in Fig. 4, and in general includes a lightsource i! and a photocell t2, the output signal from said photocellbeing generated by the passage of a screw between the light source 41and photocell 3.2 to interrupt the light falling on said photocell. Saidoutput signal is fed to a suitable amplifier including twin triode 14,and the resulting amplified signal fed to a thyratron it to provide apulse for actuating "counter All. A number of other types of sensing,devices as known to the art may be used to indicate the presence of ascrew exposed to said means, for example, microswitches or other impactdevices may be used, as well as magnetic devices.

The multiple channel predetermined electronic counter 48 is arrangedsimultaneously to count pulses from a number of sources, in thisinstance from the, eleven photocell circuit ,thyratrons M, and uponreaching one or more predetermined counts, generate a signal pulse. Inmy novel apparatus, the signal pulse from counter 48 initiallycontrols asingle pole double throw'relay 50 having an .A and a B position, thecounter relay remaining on A position until afpredeter: mined sub-total.is reached, next switching to the B. position until a predeterminedtotal count is reached, and then switching back to the A position andresetting to begin a new count.

The predetermined counter 48 is operatively connected by its inputterminal 47 to the ten bulk feed photocell sensing devices to count theadvance of each screw from the bulk feeding troughs 22 and to the singledribble feed photocell sensing device lt to count the advance of eachscrew from the dribble feeding trough 3|- so that .it will count thetotal of the screws passing all of said sensing devices. in my preferredarrangement, the counter d3 is arranged to operate control means to stopthe feed of screws along the troughs 2! and 3!, such control meansincluding a novel relay means generally designated as d5 as well as thevibrators 22, It, IS and ill, the relay means 435 operating the bulkfeed vibrator 22,.as well as hopper vibrator i6 and hopper tray vibratorI8 until a predetermined number of screws less than the desiredpredetermined quantity have passed the bulk photocell sensing devices40. The bulk tray vibrator-22 as well as hopper vibrator l5 and hoppertray vibrator it are then stopped by counter 48, acting through relaymeans 45 and the dribble tray vibrator 32 is operated until the exactpredetermined total quantity of screws have been counted. There isgenerally an overage in the number of screws advanced by the high speedbulk counter troughs 21 due to the relatively large number thereof,however by stopping the bulk troughs 2| at a subtotal count and allowingthe dribble trough 3| to feed screws past the dribble count photocelldevice 40, a highly accurate predetermined total may be obtained withoutsacrificing speed of counting except in the last stage of the countingcycle. It is, however, essential that the kicker arm 38 not be actuatedimmediately upon the counter 48 reaching total count, but rather after asuitable time interval has elapsed to allow the last screw to fall fromthe dribble feed trough 3| and slide along collecting trough 33 intopackage 31. Kicker arm 33 is then actuated to move the full package 31sideways so that it may be moved by the continuously moving belt 36 pasttransverse stop 26 simultaneously opening box switch 5|. The retractionof arm 38 allows a new box to move int filling position where it is heldby the transverse stop 26 closing box switch 5! in readiness for a newcycle. It is preferable that the dribble trough 3i be directly above thelower end of collecting trough 33 as close to the receiving package aspossible to reduce the time delay necessary to complete the filling of apackage 31.

ated by electromagnets '12 and 13 to deflect screws falling from thetroughs 2| and 3| on alternate counting cycles into either collectingtrough 15 or 16, each of said collecting troughs, for example, being ledto a box on a conveyor belt as shown in Fig. 1. With such arrangement, arelatively short time delay, that necessary for a screw to pass frommeans 40 to vane is still required, however, the greater part of thetime delay has thus been eliminated to speed up the counting operation.

My novel control device, the circuit of which is best shown in Fig, 4,includes a relay circuit 45 which provides for operation of the bulkvibrator 22, as well as hopper vibrator I5 and hopper tray vibrator IE,on the A position of the predetermined counter relay 50 and for stoppingsaid vibrators and operating the dribble vibrator 32 alone on the Bposition of said relay, followed by actuation of the kicker arm 38shortly after the completion of the total count, it being essential todelay the actuation of the kicker -for a suflicient interval of time toallow the last screw counted by the dribble counting photocell 40 totravel from said photocell to the box 31 before the box is removed bythe kicker arm as heretofore pointed out. The predetermined counterrelay 5!) is of the single pole double throw type, the common terminalthereof being connected through box switch 5| to the grounded side of a110 v. A. C. supply 53. The other two terminals herein designated "A andB operate the bulk vibrators including vibrators 16, I8 and 22 and. thedribble vibrator 32 respectively, the kicker solenoid 55 being actuatedthrough time delay switch 51 at a predetermined interval after counterrelay 50 has moved from "position B to position "A, said rel y Ser toconnect the vibrators and time delay switch 51, by means of variousrelays, to the source 53 of v. A. C.

At the beginning of a counting cycle, the counter relay 53 is inposition A, thus-assuming box switch 5| closed by a box 31-closing thecircuit through the winding of single pole single throw normally closedrelay 52, and through the winding of double pole double throw normallyopen relay 54, the circuit to said winding being completed throughnormally closed contact 56-1 of relay 55. Current thus flows from the110 v. A. C. supply 53 through the closed contact 54-! of relay 54 tooperate the bulk vibrator 22 as well as hopper vibrator l6 and hoppertray vibrator l8. If desired, selector switch 59 may be closed so thatdribble vibrator 32 will also be connected to the 110 v. A. C. supply 53and operated with the bulk and hopper vibrators during the bulk feedportion of the cycle.

Upon completion of the bulk count by counter 45 a first signal isgenerated, switching relay 50 from position A to position B, cutting offthe current flow through the windings of relays 52 and 54, thus stoppingthe bulk as well as hopper vibrators and energizing the windings ofrelays 56 and 58. Dribble vibrator 32 is thus connected to the 110 v. A.C. source 53 through the closing of normally open contact 513-! of relay58. Contact 56-2 of relay 56 also closes, providing an additional pathof energization current to the winding of said relay 56.

As soon as the predetermined total count has been reached, a secondsignal is generated by counter 45, switching the relay 50 to terminal A,cutting off the current through relay 5B and stopping dribble vibrator32. Since contact 56-2 remains closed, the winding of relay 56 remainsenergized even though contact 5I-l of relay 52 opens due to energizationof the winding of relay 52. Kicker relay 60 is thus energized since itis connected to the 110 v. A. C. supply 53 through normally closedcontact 58-2 and contact 56-3. Energization of kicker relay 53 startsoperation of time delay switch 51, the period of delay of said switchbeing long enough to permit the passage of a screw from a position inthe beam of dribble count photocell device 45] to a position in box 3'5before said box is moved from filling position by kicker arm 38. At theend of such delay, switch 5'1 energizes the winding of relay 62completing the circuit through kicker solenoid 55 by contact 62-! toremove box 31 from filling position, also opening box switch 5!. Contact62-2 also connects the reset terminals 49 on counter 48 to reset saidcounter for a new counting cycle.

The opening of box switch 5i breaks the circuit through all of saidrelays since it is in the common grounded line to said relays so thatthe relay switch contacts return to their normal positions, thus cuttingoff box solenoid 55 so that the kicker arm 33 returns to its normalposition, allowing an empty box to be moved into position bycontinuously moving belt 36 and close box switch 5| again. Upon closingof the box switch 5!, the counter relay 53 being on A position willoperate the bulk and hopper vibrators to begin a new cycle.

In operation, assuming a box is to be filled with twentyefive screws,the predetermined counter 48 is arranged to bulk count a total of, forinstance, twenty screws and then stop bulk vibrator 22, as well asvibrators it and i8. Due to the large number of troughs in bulk feedingtray '29 there will usually be a bull: count .overage of, for example,two screws rather than the desired twenty. However, the predeterminedcounter operates the dribble vibrator 32 which feeds screws slowlyiromthe dribbletrough 3i past the dribble counting photocell device ituntil the three screws necessary to make up the predetermined quantityof twenty-five have passed from the end of dribble trough 3i, thepredetermined counter then stopping the vibrator and, after a suitabletime delay, operating kicker arm 38 to move a filled box sideways alongstop 25 and thus allow belt 36 to remove said filled box and to move anempty box into filling position. Since but a single trough is used forthe dribble counter, high accuracy is possible and there is littlechance of overage.

With the modified construction as shown in Fig. 6, the .electromagnetsl2 and it will be operated through :a time delay switch similar to thatshown in Fig. 4 alternately to direct the predetermined quantity intocollecting troughs l5 and '56 so that alternate groups will be collectedby each of said troughs. each of said troughs i5 and is may then, forexample, be operated at any suitable time during or at'the end of thefollowing cycle.

Thus it will be seen that by providing a large number of the bulktroughs and a much smaller number of dribble troughs, preferably asingle dribble trough, I am able to count objects into predeterminedgrouped quantities at high speed even though the objects to be countedmove rela tively slowly along a single trough and yet, at thesame time,be able to count such objects with high accuracy by stopping the bulkfeeding means prior to the time the predetermined total has passed fromthe bulk feeding means, and then dribble feeding the remaining objectsnecessary to make up the predetermined quantity.

Various modifications, not herein set forth, within the spirit of myinvention and the scope or the appended claims will occur to thoseskilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A counting and packaging apparatus for counting small objects intopredetermined quantities, comprising object collecting means, a plu-.rality of channels each adapted to feed objects to said collectingmeans, each of said channels having sensing means adapted to sense'thepassage of an object from said channel to said collecting means,predetermined counter means operatively connected to said sensing meansto count said objects when exposed to said sensing means, saidpredetermined counter means being organized and arranged to generate afirst signal at the completion of a count less than a predeterminedtotal, and a second signal at the completion of said predeterminedtotal, and control means actuated by said predetermined counter meansarranged to stop the feed of said objects to said collecting means fromall but a relatively small number of said channels upon generation ofsaid first signal by said predetermined counter means, and to stop thefeed of said objects to said collecting means from all of said channelsupon generation of said second signal by said predetermined countermeans.

lhe kickers associated with 22. A- counting and packaging apparatus forcounting small objects into predetermined quail;- tities, comprisingobject collecting means, a pin-,- rality of channels each adapted toieedobjects to said collecting means, each of said channels havingsensing means adapted to sense the pas,- sage of an object from saidchannel to said col.- lecting means, channel supply means fordistributing said objects into all of said channels, predeterminedcounter means operatively con-- nected to said sensing means to countsaid ob jects when exposed to said sensing means, said predeterminedcounter means being organized and arranged to generate a first signal atthe completion of a count less than a predetermined total, and a secondsignal at the completion of said predetermined total, and control meansac,- tuated by said predetermined counter means arranged to stop thefeed of said objects to said collecting means from all but a relativelysmall num ,er of said channels upon generation of said first signal bysaid predetermined counter means, and to stop the feed of said objectsto said collecting means from all of said channels upon generation ofsaid second signal by said predetermined counter means. 3. A countingand packaging apparatus for counting small objects into predeterminedquantities, comprising object collecting means, a plurality of troughseach adapted to feed objects to said collecting means, each of saidtroughs having sensing means adapted to sense the passage of an objectfrom said channel to said collecting means, r-edetermined counter meansoperatively connected to said sensing means to count said objects whenexposed to said sensing means, said predetermined counter means beingorganized and arranged to generate a first signal at the completion of acount less than a predetermined total, and a. second signal at thecompletion of said predetermined total, and control means actuated bysaid predetermined counter means arranged to stop the feed of saidobjects to said collecting means from all but a relatively small numberof said troughs upon generation of said first signal by saidpredetermined counter means, and to stop the feed of said objects tosaid collecting means from all of said troughs upon'generation of saidsecond signal by said predetermined ccunter means, said control meansincluding vibrator means adapted to vibrate said troughs to feed saidobjects in response to said signals from said predetermined countermeans. A counting and packaging apparatus for counting small objectsinto predetermined quan tities, comprising object collecting means, aplurality of troughs each adapted to feed objects to said collectingmeans, each of said troughs having sensing means adapted to sense thepassage of an object from said channel to said collecting means,predetermined counter means operatively connected to said sensing meansto count said objects when exposed to said sensing means, saidpredetermined counter means being organized and arranged to generate afirst signal at the completion of a count less than a predeterminedtotal, and a second signal at the completion of said predeterminedtotal, and control means actuated by said predetermined counter meansarranged to stop the feed of said objects to said collecting means fromall but a relatively small number of said troughs upon generation ofsaid first signal by said predetermined counter means, and to stop thefeed of said objects to said co1lect- 'ing means from all of saidtroughs upon genera- 9 tion of said second signal by said predeterminedcounter means, said control means including vibrator means adapted tofeed said objects and relay means for operating said vibrator means inresponse to said signals from said predetermined counter means.

5. A counting and packaging apparatus for counting and collecting smallobjects into predetermined quantities, comprising object collectingmeans adapted to deposit collected objects in a receiving package infilling position, positioning means for maintaining said receivingpackage in filling position, a plurality of channels each adapted tofeed objects to said collecting means each of said channels havingsensing means adapted to sense the passage of an object from saidchannel to said collecting means, predetermined counter meansoperatively connected to said sensing means to count said objects whenexposed to said sensing means, said predetermined counter means beingorganized and arranged to generate a first signal at the completion of acount less than a predetermined total, and a second signal at thecompletion of said predetermined total, and control means actuated bysaid predetermined counter means arranged to stop the feed of saidobjects to said collecting means from. all but a relatively small numberof channels upon generation of said first signal by said predeterminedcounter means, to stop the feed or" said objects to said collectingmeans from all of said channels upon generation of said second signal bysaid predetermined counter means and to actuate said positioning meansto move said receiving package from filling position after apredetermined time delay to allow all of said predetermined quantity ofobjects to pass to said receiving package.

6. A counting and packaging apparatus for counting and collecting smallobjects into predetermined quantities, comprising object collectingmeans adapted to deposit collected objects in a receiving package infilling position, discharge means for moving said receiving package fromfilling position, a plurality of channels each adapted to feed objectsto said collecting means, each of said channels having sensing meansadapted to sense the passage of an object from said channel to saidcollecting means, predetermined counter means operatively connected tosaid sensing means to count said objects when exposed to said sensingmeans, said predetermined counter means being organized and arranged togenerate a first signal at the completion of a count less than apredetermined total, and a second signal at the completion of saidpredetermined total, and control means actuated by said predeterminedcounter means arranged to stop the feed of said objects to saidcollecting means from all but a relatively small number of channels upongeneration of said first signal by said predetermined counter means, tostop the feed of said objects to said collecting means from all of saidchannels upon generation of said second signal by said predeterminedcounter means and to actuate said discharge means to move said receivingpackage from filling position after a predetermined time delay to allowall of said predetermined quantity of objects to pass to said receivingpackage.

'7. A counting and packaging apparatus for counting and collecting smallobjects into predetermined quantities, comprising object collectingmeans adapted to deposit collected objects in a receiving package infilling position, dis- 10- charge means for moving said receivingpackage from filling position, a plurality of channels each adapted tofeed objects to said collecting means, each of said channels havingsensing means adapted to sense the passage of an object from saidchannel to said collecting means, predetermined counter meansoperatively connected to said sensing means to count said objects whenexposed to said sensing means, said predetermined counter means beingorganized and arranged to generate a first signal at the completion of acount less than a predetermined total, and a second signal at thecompletion of said predetermined total, and control means actuated bysaid predetermined counter means and said receiving package, said meansbeing arranged to operate when a receiving package is in fillingposition to stop the feed of said objects to said collecting means fromall but a relatively small number of channels upon generation of saidfirst signal by said predetermined counter means, to stop the feed ofsaid objects to said collecting means from all or" said channels upongeneration of said second signal by said predetermined counter means andto actuate said discharge means to move said receiving package fromnlling position after a predetermined time delay to allow all of saidpredetermined quantity of objects to pass to said receiving package,said control means including switch means adapted to be actuated by apackage in receiving position.

8. A counting and packaging apparatus for counting and collecting smallobjects into predetermined quantities comprising object collecting meansadapted to deposit collected objects in a receiving package in fillingposition, continuously operating conveyor means for moving saidreceiving package to filling position, discharge means for moving saidreceiving package from filling position, a plurality of channels eachadapted to feed objects to said collecting means, each of said channelshaving sensing means adapted to sense the passage of an object from saidchannel to said collecting means, predetermined counter meansoperatively connected to said sensing means to count said objects whenexposed to said sensing means, said predetermined counter means beingorganized and arranged to generate a first signal at the completion of acount less than a predetermined total, and a second signal at thecompletion of said predetermined total, and control means actuated bysaid predetermined counter means arranged to stop the feed of saidobjects to said collecting means from all but a relatively small numberof said channels upon generation of said first signal by saidpredetermined counter means, to stop the feed of said objects intocollecting means from all of said channels upon generation of saidsecond signal by said predetermined counter means and to actuate saiddischarge means to move said receiving package from filling positionafter a predetermined time delay to allow all of said predeterminedquantity of objects to pass to said receiving package.

9. A counting and packaging apparatus for counting and collecting smallobjects into predetermined quantities comprising object collecting meansadapted to deposit collected objects in a receiving package in fillingposition, continuously operating conveyor means for moving saidreceiving package to filling position on a first side portion thereof,discharge means for moving said receiving package from filling posiasssts tion transversely of said conveyor means to a second side portionthereof, a plurality of channels each adapted to feed objects to saidcollecting means each of said channels having sensing means adapted tosense the passage of an object from said channel to said collectingmeans, predetermined counter means operatively con nected to saidsensing means to count said objects when exposed to said sensing means,said predetermined counter means being organized and arranged to"generate a first signal at the completion of a count less than apredetermined total, and a second signal at the completion of saidpredetermined total, and control means actuated by said predeterminedcounter means arranged to stop the feed of said objects to saidcollecting means from all but a relatively small number of said channelsupon generation of said first signal by said predetermined countermeans, to stop the feed of said objects into collecting means from allof said channels upon generation of said second signal by saidpredetermined counter means and to actuate said discharge means to movesaid receiving package transversely of said conveyor means from fillingposition after a predetermined time delay to allow all of saidpredetermined quantity of objects to pass to said receiving package.

10. A counting and packaging apparatus for counting and collecting smallobjects into predetermined quantities comprising object collecting meansadapted to deposit collected objects in a receiving package in fillingposition, continuously operating conveyor means for moving saidreceiving package to and from said filling position, discharge means formoving said re- 12 cei'ving package from filling position transverselyof said conveyor means to a second side portion thereof, stop meansadapted to maintain a receiving package in filling position on saidconveyor means, a plurality of channels each adapted to feed objects tosaid collecting means each of said channels having sensing means adaptedto sense the passage of an object from said channel to said collectingmeans, predetermined counter means operatively connected to said sensingmeans to count said objects when exposed to said sensing means, saidpredetermined counter means being organized and arranged to generate afirst signal at the completion of a count less than a predeterminedtotal, and a second signal at the completion of said predeterminedtotal, and control means actuated by said predeter mined counter meansarranged to stop the feed of said objects to said collecting means fromall but a relatively small number of said channels upon generation ofsaid first signal by said predetermined counter means, to stop the feedof said objects intocollecting means from all of said channels upongeneration of said second signal by said predetermined counter means andto actuate said discharge means to move said receivingpackagetransversely of said conveyor means past said stop means fromfilling position to said second side portion of said conveyor meansafter a predetermined time delay to allow all of said predeterminedquantity of objects to pass to said receiving package.

JOHN HOAR, JR.

No references cited

